


I'm New At This

by digthewriter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, Cute, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Insecurity, Jealous, Jealousy, M/M, Party, Post War, Young Neville, innocent neville, insecure, new at dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 23:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20072257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digthewriter/pseuds/digthewriter
Summary: Neville is young and insecure. He's the most insecure about his very hot and older boyfriend.





	I'm New At This

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [**olliemaye**](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/olliemaye/) for the beta.

Deep down, Neville knew things with Charlie were too good to be true. Too good to last forever. The fact of how they only lasted six months came as a bit of a surprise to him.

Sure, they'd been taking things slow. Neville wasn't entirely too sure of what his sexuality even was and what he would and wouldn't like during sex. He'd only gone so far with Charlie—who had seemed patient. 

Evidently, his patience was wearing thin.

At Neville's insistence, they had kept their relationship quiet. A few close friends knew, but not even Charlie's parents were in on the details. To them, Charlie and Nev were "good friends" and "spent an awful lot of time together."

When Molly had asked, Neville told her it was because of their profession. Neville was interested in herbs and was exploring the healing powers of herbs in magical creatures. That seemed to be a good enough answer for her since Charlie was all dragons all the time.

Ultimately, their relationship was so deep in the closet, Charlie thought it was okay to flirt with other people at a party where they'd arrived together. Well, "together" was a relative term. He'd arrived with Ginny, Ron, Charlie, and Harry. Draco and Krum were already in attendance and Ginny had made plans for later with Luna.

Neville turned from getting a drink from Harry when he spotted them. Charlie was leaning against the wall and the woman, dressed sharply in black trousers and a low-cut top, was almost lying on top of him. He was smiling casually at her, as if she could be reading a mundane story from the _Prophet_ and he'd found it fascinating. He usually reserved that look for Neville. Usually.

She was older. Definitely older than Neville, maybe even older than Charlie. There was an age difference of seven years between Charlie and Neville, and one of the reasons Charlie was willing to go slow with him was because of how young he was and his inexperience in the bedroom.

"How are you enjoying the party so far, Longbottom?" Zabini wrapped his arm around Neville's shoulder and pulled him away.

"It's fine," Neville said, only half-paying attention. When he was pulled away into a different direction, he felt more disoriented.

"By the way, you were staring," Zabini said.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Your man Weasley. You know, the one who that breathtaking blonde woman is trying to pull?"

"Oh, is she gorgeous? I hadn't noticed." _Lying Neville Longbottom was a liar._

"So you don’t deny it."

"Deny what?" Neville asked, confused. He wanted to turn around and stare some more but it would be rude given his present company who was also the host of the party.

"He is your man."

"I… I don't know what you're referring to. We're all friends here."

"Right…" Zabini drawled and did he honestly have the most piercing eyes? Bloody hell that man was gorgeous. What was this? A gorgeous people party and somehow Neville had accidentally received an invitation.

He supposed it was the luxury of being surrounded by beauty.

"So you wouldn't mind if I did this?" Zabini closed the distance between them and caressed Neville's cheek with the back of his hand. "Tell me Neville, how many people have you had sex with?"

"I'd say that's hardly any of your business," Neville replied and realised they were both now whispering. _Why were they whispering?_

Zabini shrugged. "Just curious. Wondering if you should be pining over an old man when you could be having fun with people your own age. I mean, do you only fancy men or…I could arrange an experiment."

Neville took a step back and straightened his shirt. "I think I'm going to get some air." His tone was sharp but Zabini didn't seem fazed. He had a smirk on his face almost as if he was expecting this reaction from Neville.

"Very well. Enjoy the party and if you need anything, know I'm _your_ man." He winked at Neville and then leaned in as if to brush a kiss on Neville's cheek but didn't. "He's been watching you."

Neville jerked to move but Zabini held him in place. "Don't."

Then Zabini gave him another wink and allowed Neville to leave. Neville wondered if he should have looked at Charlie, or where he thought Charlie was standing before going out to the balcony, but refrained.

If Charlie was flirting with another woman or whatever they were doing, and if this was in fact, over, Neville didn't want his reaction to be seen by everyone in the room.

He took a few deep breaths and rested. It was fine. It was all fine. He was obviously overreacting. Charlie was allowed to talk to other people just like Neville was.

"Hey…" the voice was soft but Neville would recognise it anywhere. He'd spent evenings with that soft, gentle voice in the dark. He'd kissed and kissed and been kissed by the source of that husky voice which made his insides shiver.

"Hey," he replied.

"Is everything all right?" Charlie came close to him but not too close. Was it because he didn't want this anymore or was it because he was respecting Neville by keeping his distance?

Neville turned and closed the distance between them. "I don't want to break up." _So much for keeping it cool._

"Uh…okay?"

"I mean, I saw you flirting with the woman and you gave her that smile I like. You know, the smile which makes me want to drop to my knees." Then he gasped. "I didn't mean in a sexual way but you know, I mean we've done some stuff so it's not like I'm totally against sexual things but I'm not experienced and she's beautiful and… Zabini—"

"Kissed you."

"He did not kiss me."

"Well, it looked as though he was kissing your cheek and you were blushing like he wanted to take you to bed right there."

"It may have looked like that, but I wasn't going to bed with him. I mean, I have a boyfriend." Then his eyes widened again. "Not…um…you're my _boyfriend_. I mean, I don't even know if we're dating. I think he felt bad for me because I was, I don't know, jealous? Or maybe feeling pathetic because the woman…"

"Maybe it looked like the woman was flirting with me and maybe it _looked_ like I was flirting back, but I wasn't. I was smiling at what she said and I wouldn't try to pull her. I do have a boyfriend, you know."

"Oh. Right. It's me."

Charlie didn't reply.

"It is me, right?"

Charlie chuckled. "Yes, dear. It's you. I have a boyfriend. He's you. We've been dating for six months and I'm not allowed to be out _about us_ so I can't do much when someone talks to me and—"

"Of course, because people want to shag you all the time."

Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, don't they? Have they seen…" Neville gestured with his hands in a circular motion at Charlie's body.

"Neville…" Charlie said, pulling at Neville's arm and tugging him close.

"Yes?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

"Okay—"

Neville wrapped his arms around Charlie's neck and moulded his body against Charlie's.

One of the reasons he didn't want to be out about them was because of how people tended to treat Neville as a gay man. Everyone was always in his business and if they found out he had a boyfriend, they would ask all sorts of imposing questions. Part of it was hiding himself and saving himself from the world. But another part of him, the part that was being kissed so passionately by a man who was older, and wiser, and more experienced and who called Neville his boyfriend, made him want to be out to everyone in the world, consequences be damned.

Charlie rested against the railing of the balcony and pulled Neville close to him.

"I would, by the way…" he whispered and Neville looked at him confused. "Drop to my knees for you. I want to. But when you're ready. And if you're not ready—"

"I'm ready."

Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"I want more. With us and with being out. I would like it if we held hands at parties and went together as each other's date." _Shit, Neville was rambling again._ "I mean, I know it sounds childish and you probably think—"

"I don't think anything, Neville. I think I'm ready for whatever you're ready for. All right?"

Neville nodded. "All right."


End file.
